Events

Funeral Service will be Saturday, December 14, 2019 starting at 12:00 noon with a visitation from 9:00am until 12:00 noon at Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, 1060 30th street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46208

Helen Jean Johnson Wakefield was born May 26, 1939 in Helena, AR (Phillips County) to the late Mattie Mae Honey and Jasper Johnson.  In Helena, Helen attended St. Cyprian Catholic and Eliza Miller Schools.  She accepted Christ as her Savior at age 10, was baptized on the banks of the Mississippi River by Rev. T.R. Redmond, and placed membership at Galilee Missionary Baptist Church.   She sang in the junior choir under the direction of her mother, Mattie Honey. Helen moved with her mother, sister, and stepfather (the late Walter Wright) to Indianapolis, Indiana.  The family united with the Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, where Helen was an active participant in Sunday School and Baptist Training Union. In 1953, Helen enrolled as a freshman in Crispus Attucks High School. She excelled as a writer, and eventually became editor of both the Attucks News newspaper and Attucks Tiger yearbook; also representing Attucks at high school leadership conferences at Franklin College and Indiana University. As a result of active church participation, and a desire to become a missionary, Helen was awarded a scholarship from the State Convention Women’s Auxiliary to attend American Baptist Theological (ABT) Seminary (now known as American Baptist College) in Nashville, Tennessee to study Christian Education.  During the summers she worked for the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board, travelling throughout the southern United States providing Christian Education support (Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, etc.) to varies communities. Some of Helen’s notable classmates at ABT included Representative John Lewis (D-GA), Dr. Julius Scruggs (immediate past president, National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.), Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr. (former president, American Baptist College), and Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church’s own beloved late Brother William Wheatley. Helen graduated from ABT in 1961, with her Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education.  She returned to Indianapolis and was employed as an instructor in the Indianapolis Church Federation sponsored Weekday Religious Education program. (Weekday Religious Education [WRE] was a Christian-based program wherein the public schools released students in certain grade levels to go to nearby churches for religious instruction.) “Miss Johnson” gave many local young people their first instruction to the Bible through this program.  Even into her older years, she was stopped in grocery stores, shopping malls, or even on city busses by former students – some even having become ministers! After college, Helen returned to Pilgrim to work actively in lay ministry under Rev. Forrest Jefferson.  She made herself available to work with the children and youth of the church – many years prior to the official organization of the Youth Department.  She was also active in the Union District Association, serving in the Young Women’s Auxiliary (YWA). In August 1972, Helen married Rev. Gerald Wakefield and to this union, one daughter, Yolana Helen, was born. Following the closing of the Weekday Religious Education program, Helen transitioned to early childhood education.  She taught pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students at Singer Learning Center (later renamed ECLC Learning Center) for over 30 years. Still working in ministry under Pilgrim’s second pastor, Dr. Stacy Shields, Sister Wakefield sang in the choir, taught Sunday school (eventually becoming Superintendent), was Vacation Bible School co-director, and often a delegate at the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education.  She was later able to expand her Christian Education efforts to the Union District as an instructor in the Certificate of Progress Program (COPP). In 1991, while a full-time mother, teacher, and church worker, Helen earned her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Martin University. Even after retirement in 2004, Sister Wakefield continued to teach in various capacities including Sunday School, Youth Department, and the Union District COPP Program.  However, her beloved assignment of “Grandma’s School,” during which she looked forward to spending days with her student “Matt” (granddaughter Mattelen), was most near to her heart.  “Summer camp,” which included grandsons Greg and Joseph was always an adventure. Mattie even attended Helen’s varied medical treatments because “Grandma’s School” never closed. Following the passing of Dr. Stacy Shields in 2004, Sister Wakefield was chosen by Pilgrim as a member of the Pulpit Committee.  She served alongside, Sisters Theresa Stevenson (chair), Yvette Banks, Etta Dycus, Shelly Ford, Marcella Kendrick, and Brother Brandon Reed, who prayed, researched, and travelled on behalf of the Church to bring candidates for Pilgrim’s next pastor.  After the election of Dr. LeRoy Wadlington, Sister Wakefield continued to support her new pastor and work in ministry as a Missionary, Deaconess, Prayer Partner, and Sunday School teacher.  She often chatted with Pastor Wadlington about upcoming messages and even engaged in follow-up discussion.

Sister Wakefield encouraged so many to follow Christ and grow in ministry.  She engaged lay people – as well as ministers – in discussion and interpretation of the Holy Scriptures.  In later years after learning to text, she became known for her morning messages – always looking for her phone to send a message. What a profound witness! With seventy years devoted to Christ, sixty-five of which as service through the Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, Sister Wakefield lived a life worthy of her calling. Let us take heed to Paul’s words to us: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4: 1-3).

Helen Jean Johnson Wakefield went home to be with her Lord on December 6, 2019. Her parents, stepfather, sister (Ollie Mae Johnson-Wright), half-sister (Joann Johnson), and half-brother (Cleo Johnson), all preceded her in death. She is survived by daughter, Yolana Wakefield-Wilson; grandsons, Gregory Thedric and Joseph Tyler Wilson; granddaughter Mattelen Elise Wilson; nephews, Willis, Ronald, and James Wright; nieces, Doris Wright, Judith Gilbert, Christina (George) Carrethers; half-siblings, Jasper Johnson, Robert Johnson, Cathy Redd, and children; several great-nephews and nieces; a host of cousins; and the entire Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church Family.